TNA iMPACT 12/26/13 Review

iMPACT opens with Dixie Carter in the ring singing the praises of “her world champion” Magnus. She begin starts to talk down about how Jeff Hardy not being good enough anymore. Then as she begins to make “a huge announcement” Hardy’s music hits and he comes down to the ring. Hardy says he has something on his mind, but Rockstar Spud gets in his face about how this is Dixie’s time on the schedule and there is no time for him right now. They go back and forth eventually Hardy throws Spud out of the way, but EC3 makes the save and throws Hardy out of the ring.

Dixie gathers herself and tries making the announcement again, but is cut off again when Sting’s music hits. He comes down and says he has an announcement of his own, that he wants EC3 and isn’t leaving till he gets a match against him. He goes on and adds in Hardy and Spud to the mix and demands a tag team match between EC3 and Spud vs. Sting and Hardy. Dixie initially says no, but turns it around to make it sound like it was her own idea and grants the match.

Back from break, and Dixie is still in the ring trying to make her announcement, this time Gunner interrupts her. He says he wants his world title shot and wants it now. Dixie tells him that Magnus isn’t there and denies him before trying to shoo him away. As once again she tries to get around to making her announcement. James Storm comes down to get in the face of Gunner. They go back and forth about how Gunner costs storm his chance in the title tournament, and then again in feast or fired. Storm Challenges Gunner to a match for the feast or fired case. Carter shuts them up and grants the match and it’s next, and says that she is feed up with the interruptions and will get around to her announcement on her time later.

Great couple of segments the Gunner/Storm part was a little too teenage girl drama, it still made sense with what has been happening. Dixie getting interrupted again and again was funny. She still needs to learn how to work the crowd better, there were loud AJ chants and she just kept plowing through her lines. On the other hand however, when she is ad libbing with the interruptions and then with Gunner and Storm she is really good. Watching her wave her hand in Gunner’s face telling him to shoo was awesome, and then her just looking bored/annoyed and looking at her watch while Gunner and Storm bickered was a nice little touch.

Gunner vs. James Storm Winner gets the World Title Feast or Fired Briefcase

Short match. A lot of brawling between the two. The match spills to the outside and as they fight, the bell rings for a double count out, which pisses off Storm even more as they continue to fight into the back.

Winner: Draw, Gunner maintains possession of the briefcase

In the back we see Brooke confront Bully Ray. She tries to talk to him, saying how she hasn’t been able to get a hold of him. Eventually, she get s feed up and says that she is going to go out to the ring and air all his dirty laundry. Bully just responds with “that wouldn’t be a good idea”

Brooke heads out to the ring and calls out Bully. She says she understands why he is mad at her. That is was partially her fault for bringing the hammer into play during the match that ended the Aces & Eight’s. She says it was nobody’s fault that the Ace’s & Eights’s are no more, except for maybe his greed and selfishness. That he destroyed his club, family and brother. She says she was just using Bully to get to the top and say she is done with him and doesn’t need him and tries to walk away Bully grabs her arm and beings to talk. He says he doesn’t blame her for anything, because she was just a pair of tits and ass, and “Brooke number 1” was better in every way. He tells her he still has once use of her, that is to spread the word of his evil dark ways.

This promo was good. It is nice to see the character development of Bully into this new darker person. Brooke was Brooke on the mic not bad but not the best. TNA still used the awkward background music when Bully got into his part of the promo. It is different and its good to see them trying new things, this needs to go the way of the Hardy’s inner monologues.

In the back EC3 and Spud are talking to Aunt D and trying to get out of the match. She says not to worry and that she has them covered.

There is a video package of the Joseph Park/Abyss story setting up the monster’s ball match. Back in the gorilla position Eric Young and Park are talking, Young giving park some finale words of encouragement, he tells them to hit Parks music, and the Abyss theme plays. Park is confused, but trust’s EY and heads to the ring.

Joseph Park vs. Bad Influence: Monster’s Ball

Bad Influence takes early control. They are both taking it to Park, but hesitant at the same time, not wanting to go “too far” and unlock the Abyss personality of Park. They however still have all the offense. Every now and then Park will make a little comeback, but it never really lasts all that long. eventually with Park out on the ramp EY comes out and Park starts begging for help. He grabs Park by the head and looks to punch open a wound like he did before, but Bad Influence cuts him off. Eventually, a miscalculation by Kaz hits Park and busts him open, and Abyss comes out to play and wastes Bad Influence with ease, and gets the win.

Winner: Joseph Park/Abyss

Good, fun match that told a story. Bad Influence needed to be calculated with the weapons, trying to beat Park down but not bust him open. Then the part with Park begging and peddling with EY was really well done.Then after the match, EY looked a little reluctant to get close to Abyss, and unlike what had happened in the past, Park never snapped back from being Abyss.

In the back Sting and Hardy are getting ready. Sting can tell Hardy’s mind is somewhere else and tries to talk Hardy up but it doesn’t seem to work. Hardy calls his girlfriend. and after some conversation says that this is what he wants.

Lai’D Tapa vs. ODB

Pretty boring match. Pretty much Tapa no selling everything. Then when ODB got some momentum, Kim distracted the ref and gave Tapa the win.

EC3 and Rockstar Spud vs. Sting and Jeff Hardy

Right before the bell, Dixie appears on the screen and says she is ready to make her announcement. That next week we will have the official coronation of Magnus as the new World Champion. She goes on to say that the main event was a tag team match, and being such the World Tag Team Champions should be apart of it in a 4 on 2 handicapped match.

EC3, Rockstar Spud, and The Bromans vs. Sting and Jeff Hardy

Good tag team match. Hardy and Sting get in plenty of offense and look strong, but the numbers always get the better of them. Hardy eventually gets singled out and the momentum starts to shift. Hardy gets the tag into sting who just starts blowing through team Dixie. EC3 eventually gets a roll up on Sting and gets the pin .

Winners: EC3, Rockstar Spud, and The BroMans

Fun match and good main event. The finish was what it needed to be EC3 getting the pin over Sting. Giving him a reason to avoid Sting even longer claiming he’s already beat him,and the loss transitions into to post match promo by Hardy perfectly.

Hardy grabs the mic and claims that he his done with all the BS from Dixie Carter and that he has fought it for six months now. Then after last week and not being able to claim the World Title. He is done and walking out of TNA.

Throughout the show there were retrospectives of Magnus’ career in TNA. From his early days to now. There were some great moments during these that just need to be seen.

Another great show from iMPACT. It is sad to see that right now they are stuck in the iMPACT Zone 2.0. If this was the show they were sending on the road it might of done better, because the products has picked up since the creative shift in the company. There are still some nagging things in there, Bully’s promo music, but the EC3 and Rockstar Spud characters are some of the best TNA has had in a long time, especially from a home grown talent perspective.

About thetnaapologist

Just a Wrestling fan that loves TNA. I became a fan back in the mid-90's nWo era WCW. Never been a nig fan of WWE, so when TNA came around, and then became popular, I was hooked all over again, and this is my thoughts on why LOLTNA should not exist.